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Watchdog group: Medtronic paid for government employees' travel

An analysis of government travel records by a Washington D.C. watchdog group has found Pentagon employees are getting a lot of free travel. And Fridley based-Medtronic is among the organizations picking up travel costs for Department of Defense employees.

The Center for Public Integrity says organizations interested in doing business with the U.S. Military have paid for tens of millions of dollars worth of travel by Pentagon employees. Between 1998 and 2007, the group says Medtronic spent $93,000 on 86 such trips. That's about $1,100 per trip.

Fifteen involved Dr. Timothy Kuklo, a surgeon and former Medtronic consultant who the Army says falsified information in a medical journal article.

Medtronic spokeswoman Marybeth Thorsgaard said military doctors, and ultimately their patients, benefit from attending conferences and training sessions sponsored by Medtronic.